Combination lunch box and purse



Aug. 6, 1957 E. STEELE 2,801,666

COMBINATION LUNCH BOX AND PURSE Filed March 23, 1956 INVENTOR.

TEELE 2 3 v 9 fla/zlz'afam United States Patent i COMBINATION LUNCH BOX AND PURSE Laverne Emerson Steele, Las Vegas, Nev., assignor to Robert D. Huffman and Bette K. Church, Va.

Huifman, Falls This invention relates to combination receptacles, and more particularly to an improved combination lunch box and purse.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination purse and lunch box wherein the lunch box portion is readily detachable from the purse portion but may be normally carried therewith and appear to be unitary therewith, the improved combination lunch box and purse being simple in construction, being attractive in appearance, and being relatively compact in size.

i A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combination lunch box and purse which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is durable in construction, which is easy to clean, and which is arranged so that the lunch box portion thereof may be readily removed when its use is not required, allowing the purse portion thereof to be utilized in its normal manner.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of an improved combination lunch box and purse constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of the purse element of the combination shown in Figure 1, showing the manner in which the lunch box element may be slid out from beneath the purse element when desired.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the lined- 1 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the improved combination lunch box and purse is designated generally at 11 and comprises a top receptacle 12 having flexible side walls 13, 13 and having a rigid bottom wall 14. The side walls merge with the respective end walls of the receptacle 12 and the upper portion of the receptacle is formed with conventional top closure means 15 provided with releasable latch means 16, whereby the top closure 15 may be at times fastened in overlying relationship to the top of the receptacle 12, as shown in Figure 1. Designated at 17 is a conventional shoulder strap which is connected at 18, 18 to the opposite top corner portions of the receptacle 12. Thus, the receptacle 12 may be employed as a purse of the shoulder-carried type.

Designated at 19 is a rigid, generally rectangular bottom container which is substantially coextensive with the bottom wall 14. Rigidly secured to the sides of the receptacle 12 at its lower portion and depending below the bottom wall 14 are the respective vertical longitudinal plate elements 20, 20. Said plate elements are formed with inwardly directed bottom flanges 21. The plate elements 29 are connected at one end by a transverse plate or wall, not shown, closing ofi? the rectangular 2,801,666 Patented Aug. 6, 1957 "ice enclosure defined between the plate elements 20, 20 and designated in dotted View at 22 in Figure 1. Threaded between the top corner portions of the plate elements 20,

20 at their opposite ends is a flap member 23, said flap member having the spaced top hinge loops 24 which receive' a hinge pin 25, the flap 23 being biased toward a substantially horizontal position by spaced coiled biasing springs 26, 26 mounted on the pin between the loops 24, 24, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the flap member 23 is urged toward the open, horizontal position thereof shown in Figure 2. Said flap member .may be locked in its depending vertical position, whereby it defines an enclosure for the receptacle defined between the plate members 20, 20 by means of a sliding bolt 27 provided on one end portion of the flap member, said bolt being slidable so as to project beyond the flap member and engage behind a vertical end flange 29 of the adjacent longitudinal plate element 20. The bolt element 27 is provided with an external head, said head being connected to th'e main body of the bolt by a pin extending through a slot 30 provided in the end portion of the flap member 23, "as shown in Figure 2.

The rigid receptacle 19 comprises side walls 31, 31, a bottom wall 32, end walls 33 and a removable top cover '34 which is supported on pins 35 in the upper portions of the side and end walls of the receptacle 19, said pins Tp'rojecting inwardly sufficiently to engage beneath the margins of the removable cover 34. The respective end walls are provided with ventilation openings 36 which are covered by suitable screen elements 37, as shown in Figures 2 and 4-.

The side walls 31, 31 are formed adjacent their top edges with outwardly facing grooves 38 which slidably receive the respective longitudinal flange elements 21, 21, as shown in Figure 4, whereby the receptacle 19 is slidably interengageable with the depending supporting plates 20, 20 and may be at times located beneath the purse element 12 to define a unitary structure therewith, as shown in Figure l, and whereby said receptacle 19 may be at other times moved from beneath the purse member 12, as shown in Figure 2, and may be detached from the purse member, whereby the contents of the receptacle 19 may be removed independently of the purse 12. When the receptacle 19 is in its carrying position, namely, in the position thereof shown in Figure 1, the receptacle is retained beneath the purse member 12 by the flap 23, which in its locked position, is substantially in engagement with an end wall 33 of the rigid receptacle 19, as shown in Figure 3, thus holding the receptacle 19 in said carrying position. In order to remove the receptacle 19, it is merely necessary to release the flap 23 by moving the bolt member 27 to unlocking position, whereby the flap 23 is moved upwardly to its horizontal position, and whereby the receptacle 19 may be slid out from beneath the purse member 12.

The receptacle 19 is preferably made of suitable rigid material, such as plastic material or the like, and is of integral construction. Thus, the receptacle 19 may be easily cleaned whenever required.

In using the device, the receptacle 19 is employed to carry sandwiches, or other food articles, and when access is desired to said food articles, the receptacle 19 is detached from the purse element 12, in the manner above described. When its use is not required, the receptacle 19 may be left in any convenient place, such as in a desk, a locker, or the like, while the purse member 12 may be employed in its normal manner.

While a specific embodiment of an improved combination lunch box and purse has been disclosed in the fore going description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination lunch box and purse comprising a top receptacle having flexible side and end walls, a rigid bottom Wall, and top closure means whereby it may be employed as a purse, a rigid bottom container substanbottom wall, and top closure means whereby it may be employed as a purse, a rigid bottom container substantially coextensive with said bottom Wall, depending parallel rigid support elements secured to opposite side portions of said top receptacle and depending below said bottom wall, means on the upper portions of the sides of said bottom container slidably interengageable with inturned flanges on said depending support elements to at times support said bottom container beneath said bottom wall, whereby said bottom container may be employed as a lunch box, a transverse flap member hinged to one end of said top receptacle and being engageable with an end 3. A combination lunch box and purse comprising a top receptacle having flexible side walls, a rigid bottom wall, and top closure means, whereby it may be employed as a purse, a rigid bottom container substantially coextensive with said bottom wall, depending parallel rigid support elements secured to the opposite side portions of said top receptacle and depending below said bottom wall, opposing inturned bottom flanges on said support elements, the upper portions of the sides of said bottom container being formed with grooves slidably receiving said inturned opposing flanges, to at times support said bottom container beneath said bottom wall, whereby said bottom container may be employed as a lunch box, a transverse flap member hinged to one end of said top receptacle and being engageable with an end Wall of said bottom container when in a depending position, and interengaging means on the flap member and one of said support elements formed and arranged to lock said flap member in said depending position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Scheuer Mar. 6, 1883 Billburg et a1 Aug. 3, 1909 Meyers Mar. 8, 1949 

